The statement "Every horse deserves a chance" has pride of place on the front of the brochure for Gary Witheford's Stables at Westcourt. This reflects the firm belief of everyone that works with Gary that, no matter what problem the horse brings with it, there is always a possibility of change and the chance of a better life for both horse and owner.
With over 25 years experience, initially in racing and then working and studying with the pioneers of new methods of horse training in America and Scandinavia, Gary has developed a unique insight into the psychology of the horse. He uses the term natural horsemanship to best describe his training methods that are based on observing horses in the wild, in particular how one lead mare actively manages the behaviour of other horses in a herd without the need for aggression.
Gary's ability to get the best from the most difficult and sometimes most dangerous of horses, was identified at an early stage. Eventually, he decided to concentrate on bringing on these difficult youngsters. Ignoring the horse's past history he would start from scratch, building up its confidence until it was safe and ready for racing.
Gary has developed a unique insight into the psychology of the horse, he is passionate about the work he does with horses and has created his own unique techniques to deal with equine traits and behaviour in a shorter period of time than it usually takes using more traditional methods. His training methods are based on observation of horses in the wild.
He does not resort to beating, shouting or abuse, but uses calmer, straightforward methods that allow the horse to quickly learn and respond in the light of their own natural behavioural patterns. In this way they learn to accept human control as quickly as possible and are ready for race training in a much shorter space of time.
Craig Witheford has followed in his father's footsteps. He has discarded his mantle as "The Apprentice" and has now inherited the same natural horsemanship approach in his work.
Please see our News Update regarding remedial bookings which should now be made by referral from your Vet, Farrier, Instructor or Riding Establishment.
Witheford Equine is a company registered in England and Wales with Company No 3574879 Registered Office Westcourt Stables, Westcourt, Burbage, Marlborough, Wiltshire, SN8 3BW VAT Registration No 717 9615 07 Whilst written for Internet Explorer, this site is best viewed on Mozilla Firefox - which can be downloaded by visiting http://www.mozilla-europe.org/en/firefox/